HACU-0268: Women Filmmakers: History, Theory, Practice

Course Information

Instructor Info:

Joan Braderman

TA Info:

Lillian Kleinman

Term:

2012F

Meeting Info:

Tuesday

12:30 PM - 03:20 PM Jerome Liebling Center 120

Monday

04:00 PM - 06:00 PM Jerome Liebling Center 120

Description:

A course in reading films and videos as well as considering how they are produced historically, we will take gender as our point of departure. Engaging actively with making visual images will be part of our work. We explore the reasons for the historical absence of women filmmakers and study the works they produced when they won the right to do so. International cinemas, both dominant medias and films and videos made to oppose that system will be examined. We will analyze diverse works: from avant-garde director, Germaine Dulac, in Paris in the twenties of the last century to Ida Lupino, in Hollywood in the 50's to the 70's explosion of feminist films and videos and the historical and theoretical work that accompanied them. We will also consider several contemporary directors, though the largest bodies of work so far have been made by that group of women who were stirred into action by the Second Wave of the Women's Movement - who are still working today, such as: Sally Potter, Yvonne Rainer, Margarethe Von Trotta et al. Students are expected to attend all class meetings and learn to take detailed formal notes on all films and tapes screened. In addition to weekly assignments, an ambitious final project should be written, performed, photographed, filmed or installed.

Course Objectives:

THERE IS NO SCREENING ON MONDAY SEPT. 10.

THIS CLASS STARTS ON TUESDAY SEPT. 11

Evaluation Criteria:

1.) Attend class (Tuesday 12:30 - 3:20) regularly and attend Monday afternoon -4-6-required)screenings/workshops. Some films/DVD’s, videos can be put on reserve but not all.MISSING more than one CLASS OR SCREENING WITHOUT specific PERMISSION WILL PREVENT YOUR RECEIVIN A GRADE OR EVALUATION.

2.) Learn to take analytical notes on films and videos and keep film/video journal on all films screened. Note-taking on moving images can be challenging but it will be essential to learn to do so in this class to facilitate discussion as well as your ability to think critically while watching movies. This activity, as you might imagine, has been repressed by our so-called “popular culture.” See List of Terms handed out in first class.

2.)Participate actively in class discussions. This is essential in this class, whether we discuss the films/videos right after we screen them, or a week later, after you have read critical writing about the work or before. Your articulation of ideas about the structure and meanings of the works we screen is key to learning to engage with them formally as well as thematically… Attend all outside screenings, taking notes to prepare for class discussion of films and videos.

3.) Do all assigned readings in time for informed discussion in class, bringing printed and underlined copy of readings with you to class. Prepare a page of comments and questions on readings to be handed in at end of class (typed) or posted on our website discussion board before the class. These cannot be handed in or posted at any other time.

You can also participate by suggesting films or other works of interest on our discussion board.

4.) First formal assignment: present an article we are reading to the class for analysis and discussion.

5.) Midterm project: HOW DO I LOOK? HOW DO YOU LOOK?

Create a short midterm slide show or video about one aspect of your own autobiographyand how you have seen yourself perceived at some critical point in your life—AND – about movies or TV or other media images which have shaped how you “construct” your own way of looking.

A final project in the form of a research or analytical work; or an original, critical piece in film, photography or video, performance, installation, etc. on a key area of this class. You must submit your idea for the final project in writing to me/ and others, typed up and on class website, mid-semester and get my approval. Then present storyboards or other presentation on what you will do as appropriate to your form of expression